282 NEW AMERICAN ORCHARDIST. 



European kinds were at first tried in preference. Ours 

 require no protection in winter. The average value of 

 vineyards in France per arpent, (100 rods and 22 feet of 

 our measure,) as stated by Mr. Young, was $210 ; but the 

 very best vineyards were worth from $2000 to $3000 per 

 arpent. 



In making wine of the American grapes, some distin- 

 guished practitioners first grind the grapes by a roller, then 

 bring the must at once to the proper standard or weight, 

 which, for wines as strong as Burgundy or Claret, should 

 be 1.125, equal to about 12J per cent, heavier than 

 rain water, or sixteen degrees of Beaume's saccharometer. 

 After remaining in the vat four days, more or less, accord- 

 ing to the heat of the season, it is drawn off, or pressed, 

 and removed to the cask. Where the grapes superabound 

 in mucilage, sugar, the all-essential element of every good 

 wine, is added, and sometimes water, in just proportion. 



The vines of America are of extraordinary vigorous 

 growth, and cannot be restrained to that degree as the 

 vines of Europe, but require less pruning, and a wider 

 range, and more extensive latitude ; in which case they 

 will produce enormous crops. Mr. Longworth, of Ohio, 

 has made 1470 gallons of wine from a single acre of the 

 Isabella. Both Mr. Longworth and Major Adlum are 

 agreed, that the Catawba is the very best American wine 

 grape which was known to them. 



The excess of fermentation to which wine is sometimes 

 liable, from the heat of the weather, or from weakness, is 

 sometimes arrested in its progress by sulphuring ; but sul- 

 phuring, it is admitted, renders the liquor unwholesome; 

 or excess of fermentation may be restrained by black oxide 

 of manganese. [See CIDER. See VINE.] 



When wine has partially undergone the acetous fermen- 

 tation, the acid may be neutralized by salt of tartar; or 

 seized by alkalies, ashes, chalk, lime, or litharge; (the last 

 is well known to be a poison ;) or the acid may be concealed 

 by the addition of a saccharine substance. But such wine 

 can never be recovered, inasmuch as the process of fermen- 

 tation never retrogrades. 



The Muscadel flavor of Frontignac and of Cyprus wine 

 is said to be exactly imitated by an infusion of the flowers 

 of Meadow Sweet; Mountain wine, by the infusion of 

 Florentine orris root, powdered, with a small proportion of 



